HAMILTON, Ont. - The Queen's Gaels (9-0) and Western Mustangs (8-1) are set to compete for the OUA men’s rugby championship this weekend in a highly-anticipated matchup to be played at Fletcher’s Field in Markham, Ont.
The OUA men’s rugby championship is presented by Gilbert Canada.
Both teams dominated regular season play, both teams boast three players in the league's Top 10 scoring list, and when they last faced off on Oct. 3, the margin of difference was a mere one point. There is no question that this match-up is truly a display of the league's best.
The Gaels finished the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record, their closest match coming against the Mustangs whom they narrowly defeated by a score of 13-12. Throughout the regular season they displayed both offensive and defensive dominance, scoring 411 points and allowing a stingy 39.
From an individual standpoint, Queen's Ryan Kruyne (Dunrobin, Ont.), Liam Underwood (Toronto), and Chris Barrett (Vancouver) all finished in the league's Top 10 in points scored during the regular season. Kruyne amassed a league-high 99 points. As a team, the Gaels have championship experience; this will be their third consecutive appearance at the OUA final. Where they lack familiarity is in leaving the pitch victorious, as their last championship win was in 2001.
Despite the fact that they're heading into the match having already suffered a loss at the hands of the Gaels this season, the Western Mustangs are certainly capable of taking home OUA gold. With 317 points scored and 49 allowed, the purple-and-white were a force to be reckoned with during the regular season. Conor Trainor (Vancouver) finished the regular-season with 45 points, good for fifth place in the league scoring race. Joining him in the league's Top 10 were Rory Tomlinson (Allison, Ont.) with 34 points and Carl Stahlbrand (Brantford, Ont.) with 32 points. Western's last championship appearance was in 2006 where they suffered a loss at the hands of the McMaster Marauders.
The bronze medal game featuring the McMaster Marauders (6-4) and the Brock Badgers (7-3) is scheduled for noon on Saturday, followed by the championship match at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at Fletcher's Field in Markham.
After winning the 2008 OUA title, the Marauders had an unfortunate fall from grace this season. Finishing fourth in the league with a 5-3 regular season record, the six-time Turner Trophy-winning team was just a faint memory in 2009 and will play the 6-2 Brock Badgers in the consolation game on Saturday morning.
The Badgers and Marauders played once this regular season, as Brock notched a 34-13 win on Oct. 3 as part of a five-game win streak. The loss marked McMaster's first to the Badgers since 2000.
McMaster leading scorer, Kevin Noble (Dundas, Ont.) was able to net just one try for five points, while first-year centre Matthew Raguseo (Stouffville, Ont.) recorded one convert and two penalty goals for eight points in the game.
But it was the Badgers perennial favourite and team-leading scorer Rory McDonell (Brantford, Ont.) who led Brock to the victory, scoring four converts and two penalty goals for 14 points. The third-year fullback was the 2007 rookie of the year and a three-time all-star.
Noble and Jeff McDiarmid (Oshawa, Ont.) will need to make the most of their offensive abilities if they're to finish their year with a bronze medal. McDiarmid was second in regular season scoring for the Marauders, with eight converts and one penalty goal for 19 points, but the real threat in this game will be McDonell.
McDonell has been a headache for most OUA teams this season, finishing second in the league with 74 points.
